Category: Okategoriserade

Today we drove west via Sterling and Glen Etive to Fort William. But first we had to find a jet wash in Musselburgh. It’s a coastal town with a lot of seagulls. They seem to have a grudge against sports cars. But luckily the nearest petrol station had a jet wash where we could clean up the mess!

Once the cars were clean, we headed towards Sterling and the castle there. The GPS did show us one direction and the signs another one. For once it turned out that the GPS was right! There were quite a lot of tourists there. So, it took some time to get to the parking area. But once there, it was very well organized. The castle is in good condition and has clearly been restored recently. We’ve read about Sterling castle and also watched several programs on Historyhit and Youtube. It was interesting to finally visit it. One thing we missed when comparing to other castles we’ve been to is the furniture and decorations. There is very limited amounts of furniture inside the rooms. But nevertheless it’s worth a visit if you are interested in history.

After the visit to Sterling castle, we drove a couple of kilometers to the Wallace monument. It was built during the 19th century in honour to William Wallace, also known as Braveheart. We didn’t go inside the tower, but the view from outside is great. You also get a good view of Sterling castle across the valley. After walking up and fown the hill, we had lunch at the visitor center.

The next stop was Glencoe Mountain Resort. Here we met up with the other two in our little group. Time for a cup of coffee and some apple pie.

Then it was time to drive on the famous Glen Etive road. Also known as Skyfall road. This is were the well known scene in the Bond movie Skyfall was shot. Where Bond and M returns to his childhood home. We didn’t manage to find the exact location where Bond parked his DB5. But the scenery is stunningly beautiful. It’s a single track road with pockets for overtaking. Most other cars managed to handle this. But we did encounter a Karen in a Kia who simply refused to reverse to the pocket just behind her. The road is approx 19 km and ends at Loch Etive. There is a small car park. Then you have to drive back on the same road again. It’s well worth it for the scenery.

The last part of the drive to Fort William also came with some great views of the highlands. The hotel however turned out to be a disapointment. But more about that tomorrow.

Today we took the train to Edinburgh. It’s a 7 minute journey from Musselburgh to the ciry center. The weather forecast had indicated some heavy showers. So, we came prepared with both umbrellas and waterproof jackets. But we only had a couple of very brief ones. Which could be managed by jumping into the nearest shop.

As we had expected there were a lot of tourist in Edinburgh this time of the year. So much so that we skipped visiting the castle. We left the old town and went to visit the National Gallery instead. There is a very impressive collection of paintings and some statues. Well worth a visit.

We had lunch at Whiski Rooms & Bar. This is also well worth a visit. We went for haggis with Ardbeg and chicken breast with Glenmorangie respectively. It was delicious, and something we will try at home. Maybe not making haggis, but the chicken dish in combinstion with whiskey. They also arrange various whiskey tastings. But that will have to wait for another time.

We paid a visit to National Museum of Scotland after the lunch. It’s a modern exhibition and by such, a bit confusing. Mixing artifacts from the Picts with rockets and planes, china, steam engines, motorcycles and rocking chairs. Maybe it makes sense if you visit multiple times or attend a guided tour.

Now we are back at the hotel in Musselburgh. Waiting for the other two guys to return and hear about their experiences of the day.

Tomorrow we’ll head on to Fort William. Via Sterling castle and Loch Etive for that James Bond moment.

The third day took us from Rotenburg to IJmuiden and the ferry to Newcastle. It had rained during the night. So, we started off with the roof up. The third car is now also with us. So, the fellowship is now complete.

We decided to stop in Groningen for lunch. The food at the News Café was good. But the service was very slow. We had planned to drive via Afsluitdijk. But when we had finished the lunch and filled up the tank, the time was running out.

We drove to the ferry via Amsterdam. It was an uneventful drive through a very flat landscape. We had to stop for a bridge that opened up to let some ships through to IJmeer. Now we are relaxing in the bar before going to get something to eat and go to bed.

We drove 432 km today. Tomorrow we’ll be in UK! Lindisfarne here we come…

First day of our trip to Scotland. This time we are only four people in three cars. Us in our new Mazda MX-5 and two friends in their Lotus Elise. Today we covered most of the transfer through Sweden, from Stockholm to Lund. In all 636 km out of which we drove 404 km with the soft top down. 26 degrees Celsius and mostly sunny. We made the first stop in Linköping to stretch out legs and visit ”Gamla Linköping”. This is an open air museum that consists of old buildings from Linköping and the surrounding areas. Some contains shops and work shops, some are being used as living quarters and some are transformed into exhibitions. There are also several cafes. Plus a farm with live animals, Valla gård.

After this, we met up with one of our friends at a cafe in Väderstad, just outside Mjölby. Here we had a late breakfast before continuing south. The cafe, called Väderstad Centralkonditori, is well worth a visit. The sandwiches and pastry are legendary. In the Summer, people are travelling from far and wide to visit the cafe.

The next stop was for lunch at Tabergstoppen. Just south of Jönköping and lake Vättern. The view was spectacular but the food was less exiting. A couple of soggy sandwiches that really can’t be recommended. But the road between Väderstad and Gränna is beautiful if you avoid the highway.

We then pressed on for the final leg of the day. The end destination was the university city of Lund. Here we are staying over night. Since we arrived in the afternoon. We managed to go for a walk in the city after checking in at the hotel. We had a really nice dinner at an italian restaurant, called Gattostretto. Now the cars have had a quick wash and the petrol tanks are filled up for tomorrow.

The 2023 tour is soon upon us. This year we’ll visit Scotland with a couple of friends. Newcastle, Edinburgh, Fort William, Skye and Inverness. On the way back home, we’ll also visit Tan Hill Inn and Hethel in England.

So, stay tuned for the coming blog updates. Starting July 8th